Within the typical home, various different alarm devices are installed in order to prevent property loss or damage, and/or to prevent loss of life or other injury. For example, fire or smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, water leak detectors and home security systems (e.g., devices that monitor motion, and/or open doors or windows, to detect trespassers/break-ins) are some of the more common alarm types that are commonly employed in the home. To alert a home owner (or renter, guest, etc.) to a high-risk situation, these alarms typically generate and emit very loud tones or other audio signals that can easily be heard throughout the home. If no one is present in the home when an alarm is triggered, however, the alarm may go unnoticed. While some home security systems remotely notify a home owner when a potential break-in or other trespass has occurred (e.g., when a sensor detects motion), these systems typically utilize dedicated hardware and/or software that cannot be used for other alarms in the home, and require entering into a contract with the company that provided the home security system product/devices. Moreover, remote monitoring/notification services of this sort are typically not offered at all for other types of alarm devices, such as stand-alone smoke or carbon monoxide detectors.
Further, conventional alarm devices and systems are unable to determine many conditions/situations that a home owner, if present in the home, would be likely to associate with a high level of risk. For example, conventional alarms are not triggered by the sound of glass breaking, by loud yet unidentifiable noises, or by other sounds/noises that would likely cause an individual present in the home to investigate and/or request assistance (e.g., call 911).